The Wicked Problems Collaborative is an independent press with an expanding list of titles. We’re working to tackle the growing social and environmental issues facing humanity. Our current titles are listed below and more on the way. Please have a look.

If you do read one of our books, please consider leaving us a brief, honest review on Amazon or Goodreads as those are incredibly important for us as we work to establish credibility. Regardless, thanks for stopping by!

What do we do about inequality? (WPC Book 1)

Wicked problems are the massive, intractable issues which tend to defy solutions or even progress. They’re interconnected and systemic, so attempts to initiate change often ripple through in unexpected ways. Things like war, epidemics, and climate change are just a few of the things which the Wicked Problems Collaborative will take on.

Our first book “What do we do about inequality?” looks at rampant and growing disparities in various forms and looks to help the reader understand these problems from new perspectives, while also offering ideas towards creating outcomes that are more just than those that are currently endured.

Praise for WPC Book 1:

“With article topics ranging from moral and ethical conundrums to very specific commentary on the problems of current economic models, there’s no better choice for labor relations, economics, or business and social issues debates than this collection, which considers the roots of fairness and justice.” –D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

The Dividing Kingdom: Keep Calm and Brexit On?!

The latest book from WPC founder Chris Oestereich is a multi-installment effort that follows the UK’s ongoing saga with the European Union. The first two parts are out and Part 3 is scheduled to launch on “Brexit Day” March 29, 2019.

Part 1 of The Dividing Kingdom goes back to look at some of the issues in Europe that helped bring the EU referendum into being. On June 23, 2016, the citizens of the United Kingdom went to the polls to decide whether to part ways with the European Union. Leave took the day with a slim majority (52% to 48%) on the non-binding vote. The fallout from the vote effectively spawned a new book genre: dystopian nonfiction.Part 1 sets up the mess with a mildly tongue-in-cheek overview of the relevant terms, groups, and people that are important to understanding Brexit, an explanation of the genesis of this project and what it hopes to cover, as well as the initial chapters which cover the shambling wreck known as the EU to set up the story.

Part 2 of The Dividing Kingdom looks at the major forces that drove the result of the EU referendum, including austerity, cuts to the National Health Service and education, concerns about globalization, and fomented xenophobia. It also looks at politicians’ shifting goals and the stories they told on the way to the historic result. In sum, it’s a complex mess. “The Dividing Kingdom – Part 2” dives into the morass and attempts to make order out of chaos. (Easier said than done.) The book paints the picture of the many challenges roiling the UK as its leaders attempt to chart a path forward.

The Dividing Kingdom (Keep Calm & Brexit On? – Part 3)

The full version of The Dividing Kingdom, including Part 3, is planned for publication on March 29, 2019, the day the UK is scheduled to leave the EU. Part 3 covers roughly two years of developments following the EU referendum, while also taking a look ahead.

Mending the Net: Toward Universal Basic Incomes

Mending the Net features essays on the topic of Universal Basic Incomes, a radical idea with growing support. In this age of growing precarity, and a growing threat of significant job loss due to technological advances in automation and artificial intelligence, we need to look at new ways of sharing the spoils of our increasingly productive economies. This short book lays out a broad case for basic incomes, while also addressing potential shortcomings with such programs.

Mending the Net is currently unavailable as it is being expanded and updated. A revised and expanded 2nd Edition will be available soon.